Summer Road Trip 2013: Death Valley and Up to Yosemite Day 3

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Death Valley!!!!!!

Its as desolate and dry and hot as they say. You go from thinking you are already driving at a low altitude to going even lower. The view from Dante's View is amazing! The valley just stretches onward forever all dead and desolate. Then you drive down to reach Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the United States. It was very hot. The heat melts your face when you exit the car. But even then Badwater Basin is a bit muddy. Yes the mud is cracked in places but still, its muddy. The sand flats are there for hiking but why torture yourself? We hung around until we couldn't take the heat any longer. Our next stop was the visitor's center where we found out the temperature was a blistering 119 degrees! I wanted to stay there and melt until it reached 120 degrees but got outvoted. We drove out of Death Valley passing canyons and dirt flats and dunes and dry mountains. Ugly wonderful scenery everywhere! We slowly climbed back up thousands of feet I think. We exited the park and drove West smack dab into the enormous peaks of the Sierra Nevada. We went from the lowest point in California to the highest points of Mt. Whitney and beyond.

We just wanted to make it to Yosemite. And we did but the sun was setting! We entered through the eastern gates which are usually closed due to snow. We headed in and instantly knew we would have to find a place to stay because we needed to see the park in its wonderful daylight. We drove through to the other end of the park and found ourselves an A-shaped cabin to stay in. We checked for spiders first. Our dad would of checked for lunatics hiding with knives underneath the beds. But spiders are gross. A man with a knife you punch in the face. Spiders? EEEK! And run as fast as you can hoping it didn't get tangled in your hair.

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